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BY AMY DOMINELLO
Media General News Service
WASHINGTON – After being severely injured in a motorcycle wreck last year, it was doubtful Mickee Ramsey would return to his job as a paramedic in Jackson, Miss.
The verdict seemed sealed when, while recuperating, Ramsey was injured again while riding in a truck that was struck by another vehicle.
Through sheer willpower, Ramsey returned to work months before anyone thought it was possible. On Tuesday night his determination was rewarded when he was named one of the elite in his field.
The American Ambulance Association named Ramsey, of Canton, Miss., a “Star of Life” along with 107 other recipients at a ceremony in Washington.
Ramsey, 26, suffered from a long list of injuries after the April 2007 motorcycle wreck: a lacerated spleen; multiple fractures to his pelvis, ribs and left foot; a shattered jaw; three broken vertebrae; and a broken left arm, collarbone and shoulder blade.
He was told he’d have 10 months of therapy. Then came the second wreck and more broken bones, setting his recovery back.
Ramsey wasn’t expected to walk again until the fall of 2007, but was walking in less than two months. He was back on the job in six months, returning to work in November.
On his first day back, he was apprehensive. Ramsey wondered if he could handle the physical rigors of the job.
“It was scary,” he said. “The first day I put my arms and hips to the test.”
But he was relieved to find out he could handle it. And Ramsey’s co-workers were inspired by his return, nominating him to be a “Star of Life.”
“It’s an honor that I’ll never forget,” he said.
Ramsey, who was also recently named “Paramedic of the Year” by the Mississippi Emergency Medical Technicians Association, said his experience has made him a more understanding paramedic.
“I can feel the pain they feel,” he said.
Contact Amy Dominello at 202-662-7671 or adominello@mediageneral.com
Media General News Service
WASHINGTON – After being severely injured in a motorcycle wreck last year, it was doubtful Mickee Ramsey would return to his job as a paramedic in Jackson, Miss.
The verdict seemed sealed when, while recuperating, Ramsey was injured again while riding in a truck that was struck by another vehicle.
Through sheer willpower, Ramsey returned to work months before anyone thought it was possible. On Tuesday night his determination was rewarded when he was named one of the elite in his field.
The American Ambulance Association named Ramsey, of Canton, Miss., a “Star of Life” along with 107 other recipients at a ceremony in Washington.
Ramsey, 26, suffered from a long list of injuries after the April 2007 motorcycle wreck: a lacerated spleen; multiple fractures to his pelvis, ribs and left foot; a shattered jaw; three broken vertebrae; and a broken left arm, collarbone and shoulder blade.
He was told he’d have 10 months of therapy. Then came the second wreck and more broken bones, setting his recovery back.
Ramsey wasn’t expected to walk again until the fall of 2007, but was walking in less than two months. He was back on the job in six months, returning to work in November.
On his first day back, he was apprehensive. Ramsey wondered if he could handle the physical rigors of the job.
“It was scary,” he said. “The first day I put my arms and hips to the test.”
But he was relieved to find out he could handle it. And Ramsey’s co-workers were inspired by his return, nominating him to be a “Star of Life.”
“It’s an honor that I’ll never forget,” he said.
Ramsey, who was also recently named “Paramedic of the Year” by the Mississippi Emergency Medical Technicians Association, said his experience has made him a more understanding paramedic.
“I can feel the pain they feel,” he said.
Contact Amy Dominello at 202-662-7671 or adominello@mediageneral.com